JOHN YOUNG: Costa Rica, 1970

PEACE CORPS ALUMS TELL THEIR STORIES

Oct. 16, 2010

John Young / Provided

I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica 40 years ago. I worked in an agricultural extension program in a very small village in the northern province of Guanacaste.

In retrospect, what I learned and gained from that experience far exceeded what I was able to impart to residents in that village. I learned that you can live simply and do very well even without running water and electricity - you just adapt. Horses and a motorcycle were the preferred modes of transportation.

One of life's simpler pleasures was to listen to Sunday NFL football games via the Armed Forces radio network on a battery-operated radio!

The Peace Corps instilled in its volunteers a sense of adventure and willingness to embrace other languages and cultures and most importantly to see people for what they are. It's provided a unique perspective for me.